Online pharmacies may endanger your family's health and wealth

As more consumers search for less expensive alternatives to the high cost of prescription drugs, many have turned to online pharmacies. These can be a quick and easy way to get prescription drugs delivered straight to your door, but Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland warns that finding a safe site to order from may be difficult.

The trap

According to a report released by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, 97 percent of 10,000 websites analyzed were operating out of compliance with U.S. pharmacy law. Con artists use deceptive online pharmacies as a ploy to steal your personal and financial information. They may even pose as officials of the Food and Drug Administration and accuse their targets for purchasing illegal drugs. As a result, victims are often pressured into paying their way out of "trouble."

Other bogus pharmacies will send counterfeit products to their victims. If you aren't careful, ordering prescriptions through a rogue operator could put you or your family at risk.

The bottom line

According to NABP, many websites selling prescription drugs are unlicensed, operating illegally or operating from foreign countries where medicines shipped to the United States are unregulated. Therefore, there is no way to know whether the medicine is contaminated, sub-potent, super-potent, expired, counterfeit or whether it has been stored and shipped under proper conditions to maintain its effectiveness.

Tips

According to the FBI, here are some ways you can identify a legitimate online pharmacy:

? A prescription from a licensed doctor is required.

? The site makes you submit a detailed medical history.

? Its payment, privacy and shipping fees are clearly stated on its site.

? Verify its license. Every online pharmacy should be licensed with its state. For Maryland pharmacies, contact the Maryland Board of Pharmacy at 410-764-4755 to verify the license.

Look for a verification seal. In the U.S., there are two verification programs for online pharmacies that are recognized by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy - the Verified Internet PharmacyPractice Sites Program and LegitScript.

Research the company. Go to bbb.org to check out a company's BBB Business Review. This will include its BBB rating, any history of complaints and how long the business has been operating

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Online pharmacies may endanger your family's health and wealth

As more consumers search for less expensive alternatives to the high cost of prescription drugs, many have turned to online pharmacies.